Baykali Ganambarr | |
---|---|
Born | Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia | 30 August 1994
Nationality | Australian |
Occupation | Actor |
Baykali Ganambarr (born 30 August 1994) is an Yolngu actor and dancer from Elcho Island (Galiwin'ku).[1][2] He received the 2018 Marcello Mastroianni Award for his role in The Nightingale and was nominated for the 2019 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role[3] for the same role. He was nominated for the 2021 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in The Furnace.[4]
After posting Youtube videos of himself dancing, Ganambarr joined Djuki Mala. While still with the group, he was cast in The Nightingale which was his first acting role.[1] In the film, which was released in August 2019, he played an Indigenous Tasmanian tracker named Mangana/Billy.[5]
Ganambarr is from the Yolngu people and speaks Yolngu Matha.[1][6] Ganambarr's older sister Rarriwuy Hick is an actress who appears in Cleverman.[1]
In 2024 Ganambarr began performing in the musical 'Big name, No blankets' , a musical about the origins of the Warumpi Band, in which he plays the role of Sammy Butcher.[7][8] Ganambarr grew up will another band member George Rrurrambu Burarrwanga who used to spear fish with his family.[2]